Dec 27 2024
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Madman Across The Water
Elton John
Have listened to this before, just relistened to my favorites a few weeks ago. Some of his best songs are on here, unfortunately they're all in the 1st half. Levon, Tiny Dancer and the title track all go so hard, but I feel like the deep cuts on this don't really shine.
Razor Face and Holiday Inn are just ok. I have a soft spot for Indian Sunset but it hasn't aged well. Rotten Peaches is classic bad-Elton: overlong, corny, and melodramatic. Still, the man can play a piano
3
Dec 30 2024
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White Blood Cells
The White Stripes
Garage rock is a big blind spot for me. There are some undeniably good tunes on here, but like most rock of the early aughts not made by QotSA, it doesn't really tickle my fancy. It's bluesy and catchy but not particularly interesting to me. Maybe it's because I've listened to Elephant for years that this doesn't hit as much for me.
2
Dec 31 2024
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Pretenders
Pretenders
Sexy, powerful, catchy. Not my favorite type of music but Chrissy Hynde's voice is absolutely insane. So unique and sultry and funny and fun. More interesting than I would have given it credit for based on the one song I knew before, "Brass in Pocket"
4
Jan 01 2025
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Ill Communication
Beastie Boys
I do not like the Beastie Boys. This is the best album I've heard from them, however. Good beats, I just can't get past the annoying schoolboy rapping
2
Jan 02 2025
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Sound of Silver
LCD Soundsystem
The other day I said I don't really vibe with early-2000s rock... I forgot about LCD Soundsystem. They really appeal to my neurotic American who listens to Talking Heads-brain. Have always slept on this in favor of This is Happening, but now I'm seeing this as the Fear of Music to that album's Speaking in Tongues: harder, dancier, edgier and more experimental. It works a lot of the time.
Now I have one more LCD Soundsystem album to listen to.
4
Jan 03 2025
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OK Computer
Radiohead
This album came out the year I was born, and I think it's pretty formative for me. Always melancholy but not boring or repetitive, each song is good and flows into the next. Thom Yorke's sad voice is one of a kind, and some of their best songs are on here. Kid A probably has higher highs imo but I don't love every song on there. This one is just SO consistently good
5
Jan 06 2025
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The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady
Charles Mingus
I'm a jazz troglodyte, but I loved this album from my 1st time hearing it some years ago in college. It feels like everything I'd ever hoped for jazz to be. Simultaneously dark, joyful, catchy, experimental, powerful, and subtle. it works, all of it.
5
Jan 07 2025
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The Queen Is Dead
The Smiths
"I'm truly sorry but it sounds like a wonderful thing"...
I love The Smiths songs that I love. I love how angsty and sadboi the lyrics are and how camp Morrissey's vocals are. Great melodies that get stuck in your head, with an ability to fit in lyrics that should NOT work in the scheme.
The variety and complexity of the pop instrumentation is so addictive and influential.
4
Jan 09 2025
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Central Reservation
Beth Orton
It's nice. Reminds me of Alanis Morrisette and Jewel with a bit of trip-hop thrown in. I can see this album being very important for the music that plays in shows like Grey's Anatomy lol. However, I probably won't ever listen to it again. The lyrics aren't punchy enough on first listen, a little too vague and adolescent for my liking, and all the songs kind of fade into each other. Nice melodies, but her voice isn't as interesting to me as the other trip-hop Beth (sorry). I can imagine being comforted by this as a teenager, but it doesn't touch me much right now.
I find that I can't connect emotionally as much with the British folk music I've heard. It feels like there's a detachment there I don't usually notice in folk.
I liked "Pass in Time"
2
Jan 10 2025
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The Message
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
The album that birthed a thousand genres. Was going to give it a 2 for my genuine likeability (there's a lot of singing!, not historical significance, until I heard Wheel of Steel. Holy shit. Pure hip-hop. Frenetic, futuristic, poppy and experimental at the same time. Mind-blowing to think of how influential it is.
4
Jan 13 2025
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Eliminator
ZZ Top
If I died yesterday, would my life have been different if I heard this album? No, because I've already listened to the singles, the only good songs on here, and so have you.
From what I can tell this was also the last time ZZ Top was good, and it stops about halfway through here. Of course, who can speak ill of Gimme All Your Lovin' or Sharp Dressed Man, and there's solid groovy guitar work throughout, but neither of the two genres they're mashing here have aged particularly well, especially churned together for pop consumption.
Legs is the perfect sequel song to Tush, I wonder if they ever made a third song called Boobs.
1
Jan 16 2025
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The White Album
Beatles
Never been the biggest Beatles guy, last time I listened to this was probably 14 years ago. Does it need to be this long?
Songs I like:
Back in the U.S.S.R (interesting lyrics, great guitar and energy)
Martha My Dear
Rocky Raccoon
I Will (it's fine)
Songs I don't like:
Dear Prudence (boring)
Glass Onion (boring)
Blackbird (feels patronizing, and is subtle enough that they could say it isn't about race, so what's the point)
Piggies (leave the pig-political commentary to Orwell and Pink Floyd)
Don't Pass Me By (sounds like a parody of The Beatles)
Julia (worse version of Hermione by David Bowie)
Birthday (uhhhhh)
Songs I love:
While My Guitar Gently Weeps (peak)
Happiness is A Warm Gun (love the melodies, nonsense lyrics that sound great, satisfying song)
I'm So Tired (simple, great)
Songs I hate:
Obla-do, Obla-da (or however it's spelled)
The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill (good to know Paul and John both had the ability to suck a lot)
Why Don't We Do It in the Road (you already know)
Only half of the songs have all 4 Beatles on it, and you can tell. It sometimes feel like 2 and a half solo albums stuffed into one giant piece. I'm not sure why they gave up on incorporating multiple genres in one song, I generally find that side of them more interesting. I guess the egos and the stories behind the songs all add to the mystique, but they don't exactly add to the music.
3
Jan 20 2025
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The Suburbs
Arcade Fire
Wait, this is the GOOD Arcade Fire album? Some good moments, but overall a snorefest
2
Jan 23 2025
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Beach Samba
Astrud Gilberto
Sounds like an album full of Dusty Springfield's "The Look of Love," so it's pretty good based on that alone.
3